Malvern, AR: what USGS's seismic model says

Malvern carries Seismic Design Category C under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Nationally, Malvern ranks above 72% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 72th percentile.

Malvern by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Malvern: 0.125g peak ground acceleration, 0.246g at short period, 0.114g at 1 second. Within Arkansas alone, Malvern ranks 36 of 68 cities by seismic hazard - the 48th percentile in-state. Malvern has a population of about 11,082.

Retrofit economics for Malvern

A full earthquake retrofit typically runs $5,000-$10,000 nationally (around $7,000 typical), driven mainly by house size and foundation type, not by Arkansas specifically. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant, which covers a large share of this cost, is a California-only program and does not apply in Arkansas.

Earthquake insurance for a Malvern home

A Malvern homeowner cannot buy a standalone earthquake policy in most cases - it is added to an existing homeowners policy as an endorsement, so the place to start is a regular home-insurance quote.

Where Malvern's figures come from

Malvern's Category C and every number above trace to USGS's own ASCE 7-16 Design Maps service - see the methodology guide. See the category explainer for what Category C does and doesn't tell you about Malvern.